Coatings for EMI/RFI shielding

ABSTRACT

An electrically conductive paint for providing EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronics components comprises a cross-linked organic resin binder containing cross-linkable functional groups such as OH groups, electrically conductive metallic particles, preferably a mixture of silver flakes and silver-coated copper flakes, a solvent, a cross-linking agent which cross-links with itself and with the functional groups of the organic binder and preferably a catalyst which accelerates cross-linking of the cross-linking agent and organic binder. Using such a paint formulation it has been found that thinner coatings can be used while still exceeding the properties needed for EMI/RFI shielding of housing for electronic components. A rheological additive which is an organic derivative of castor oil is preferably used to control the viscosity and spraying characteristics of the paint especially in a paint composition containing silver coated copper flakes. The conductive paint provides a sprayed coating which is durable, has low resistivity and is smooth and has both cohesive and adhesive strength. A method is also provided for forming EMI/RFI shielding on housings for electronic components and electronic components made using the method and paint composition of the invention.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to conductive paint formulations which are useful for coating housings for electronic equipment to provide electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio frequency interference (RFI) shielding for the housings, and in particular, to paint formulations which may be spray coated onto the housing to provide a thin durable finish which is both adhesive to the housing substrate and cohesive with the conductive pigment and which has low electrical resistivity.

2. Description of Related Art

It is often necessary to provide EMI/RFI shielding for polymeric and other electrically non-conductive enclosures used in electronic and radio equipment to prevent radiation such as EMI/RFI from being emitted from the equipment contained therein. Regulations of the Federal Communication Commission require that certain categories of electronic and computer equipment be enclosed by shields capable of substantially eliminating such EMI/RFI above about 10 kiloHertz (kHz) in frequency.

It is known in general that electrically conducting materials will provide EMI/RFI shielding and, accordingly, it is common practice in the industry to provide a metal coating on enclosures for electronic equipment. Among the techniques known to apply such a coating are the use of electrically conductive paints, flame or arc metal spraying, the application of metal foils and electroless or electrolytic deposition of one or more metal layers.

The many types of electronic equipment which must be shielded from EMI/RFI radiation include commercial, industrial, business and home products such as computers, calculators, video equipment and electronic games. The use of conductive finishes such as electrically conductive paints on the electronic housing however are subject to failure by abrasion, flaking, cracking or corroding allowing leaking of radiation. For this and other reasons, multiple coatings are typically applied for many applications to provide acceptable shielding properties.

To evaluate the electrical effectiveness of a conductive coating on the electronic housing, a test of surface resistivity-measured in ohm/square--termed "ohms per square" is typically used. Both point to point and surface resistivities are usually measured using standard electronic measuring instruments. The durability of the finish and its adhesion to the electronic component substrate is also an important factor in determining the effectiveness of the coating. The conductive paints used to form conductive coatings employ a metallic additive (pigment) in the paint to provide the conductivity of the coating and the ability of the coating to retain the metallic additive (typically termed "metallic pigment" or "pigment") is also a measure of the effectiveness of the coating and is usually termed "cohesion".

Metal containing conductive paints are very popular from an industrial viewpoint to provide a conductive coating on electronic component housings for shielding purposes because of their cost effectiveness. In general, a conductive paint formulation contains a metal such as nickel, copper, and preferably silver and combinations with silver to provide electrical conductivity, a solvent and a binder of generally a polymeric material which are thermoplastic and which on drying form a hard conductive film. The conductive paints are typically applied by spraying with conventional painting equipment and the coated housings are then usually air-dryed. Silver has the highest conductivity and is considered the best type of pigment to use for the most critical applications. The high cost of silver however makes it unattractive for general purpose use. Copper is another metal used in paint but oxidation during use results in loss of conductivity and limits its application. A silver coated copper particle, preferably in the form of flake, has been proposed for use in conductive paints alone as the metal pigment and in admixture with pure silver flake pigment.

At present, conductive paints because of their ease of use and effectiveness are very desirable to use in shielding housings for electronic equipment. There are a number of advantages to the use of conductive paints such as minimal equipment cost, ease of application, and low material cost relative to other conductive finishes. However, coating durability is a significant concern since cracks or chips in the coating or abrasion of the coating will effect the shielding of the coating. The quality of the coating therefore is very important to the shielding effectiveness of the coating. Also, in applying the paint it is usually necessary to employ an agitator or mechanical shaker to keep the relatively heavy metallic particles from settling so a homogeneous mixture is maintained during spray application. In general, for a conductive metal paint, and particularly a conductive paint which is sprayed, it is important that the spray coating be durable, have a high conductivity (low resistivity) and provide a smooth (even) coating. It is also important from a cost and application standpoint that a thin coating be used. Paints even meeting these criteria must also have adhesive and cohesive strength so that the coating adheres to the substrate and the conductive pigment is retained in the paint film. All these properties are now typically balanced because a change in the formulation to achieve a particular result typically has a negative effect on another property. For example, increasing the metallic loading decreases the resistivity but usually causes the paint to have poor cohesion.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,708 an electrically conductive paste is described for screen printing of printed circuit boards to provide an electromagnetic shielding layer. The paste is not used for spray painting of housings for shielding. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,282,887 conductive paints applied by spraying are disclosed containing a pigment grade carbon, a resin, a cross-linking agent and a solvent. U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,847 discloses copper containing compositions for shielding employing organic titanates to stabilize the paint over a long period of time even at elevated temperatures.

Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an electrically conductive metallic containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment which paint provides a durable coating with a low resistivity at thin coatings as low as 0.2 mils and has both excellent adhesion to the substrate and cohesive properties of the coating.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrically conductive silver containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment which paint provides a durable coating with a low resistivity at thin coatings and has both excellent adhesive and cohesive properties.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrically conductive silver coated/copper particle containing paint, preferably in admixture with silver particles, for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment which paint provides a durable coating with low resistivity at thin coatings and has both excellent adhesive and cohesive properties.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for forming an EMI/RFI shielding on substrates such as housings for electronic equipment which method provides a metal coating, preferably a silver paint coating which is durable, has low resistivity at thin coatings and has both excellent adhesive and cohesive properties.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a method for forming an EMI/RFI shielding on substrates such as housings for electronic equipment which method provides a silver coated copper particle containing conductive paint, preferably in admixture with silver particles, which conductive paint provides a coating which is durable, has low resistivity at thin coatings and has both excellent adhesive and cohesive properties.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for forming an EMI/RFI shielding on substrates such as housings for electronic equipment which method provides a coating which is durable, has low resistivity and provides a smooth finish.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide EMI/RFI shielded housings for electronic equipment which are made using the conductive paints and methods of the present invention.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The above and other objects and advantages, which will be apparent to one of skill in the art, are achieved in the present invention which is directed to, in a first aspect, an electrically conductive metal containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment comprising an organic binder resin having crosslinkable functional groups selected for example from the group consisting of --OH, --COOH, --CONH₂, --SH, phenolics, --NH₂ and --NHCH₂ OH; electrically conductive metallic particles preferably silver and silver-coated copper flakes and mixtures thereof; a solvent; an effective amount of a cross-linking agent which cross-links with itself and with the functional groups of the organic binder resin; and highly preferably an acid or alkaline catalyst to accelerate cross-linking of the organic binder resin with the cross-linking agent. The use of a binder resin having cross-linkable functional groups in combination with a cross-linking agent and preferably a catalyst to catalyze the cross-linking reaction, has been found to provide a metal containing conductive paint for EMI/RFI shielding which may be applied in thin coatings as low as 0.2 mils yet still have the abrasion resistance (durability), low resistivity and adhesive and cohesive properties needed for EMI/RFI shielding applications.

In another aspect of the invention, an electrically conductive silver containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment comprises an organic binder resin having crosslinkable functional groups selected for example from the group consisting of --OH, --COOH, --CONH₂, --SH, phenolics, --NH₂ and --NHCH₂ OH; electrically conductive silver particles, preferably flakes; a solvent; an effective amount of a cross-linking agent which cross-links with itself and with the functional groups of the organic binder resin; and highly preferably an effective amount of an acid or alkaline catalyst to accelerate cross-linking of the organic binder resin with the cross-linking agent.

In another aspect of the invention, an electrically conductive silver coated copper particle (preferably flake) containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment comprises an organic binder resin having crosslinkable functional groups selected for example from the group consisting of --OH, --COOH, --CONH₂, --SH, phenolics, --NH₂ and --NHCH₂ OH; electrically conductive silver coated copper particles, preferably flakes; a solvent; an effective amount of a cross-linking agent which cross-links with itself and with the functional groups of the organic binder resin; and highly preferably an effective amount of an acid or alkaline catalyst to accelerate cross-linking of the organic binder resin with the cross-linking agent. This paint preferably also contains silver flake in the paint formulation.

In another aspect of the invention, the above paint formulations preferably contain a rheological additive in the paint which rheological additive is highly preferably an organic derivative of castor oil particularly an organic castor oil derivative termed castor wax.

In an additional aspect of the invention, the organic binder resin is a poly (vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate-co-vinyl chloride) terpolymer having a molecular weight of about 15,000 to 25,000 and contains about, by weight %, 5-6 vinyl alcohol content (secondary alcohol), 90 vinyl chloride content and 4 vinyl acetate ester content. The cross-linking agent is preferably a melamine resin which cross-links with itself and also with the hydroxyl groups of the organic binder resin. It is preferred to use an acid catalyst with the cross-linking agent to accelerate the cross-linking of the formulation and it is highly preferred to use an organic acid such as paratoluenesulfonic acid or methanesulfonic acid as the catalyst. It is also preferred to use an anti-settling agent in the above paints to control settling of the metallic particles and the forming of a paint condition known as hard pack.

In another aspect of the invention, is has been found that the catalysis of the cross-linking process be specially controlled depending on the type metallic particles used in the paint formulation. For paints containing pure silver particles, the amount of catalyst is specially controlled to achieve the desired combination of EMI/RFI shielding vis-a-vis the coating thickness. For paint formulations containing silver coated copper particles control of the amount of catalyst used is not as restricted but is still specially controlled and a wider catalyst compositional operating range may be used for most shielding applications compared to pure silver paint formulations.

In another aspect of the invention, the conductive metal paint is preferably prepared as a two component system. In the first component the resin is dissolved in a solvent and then additives, if any, such as a rheological additive and an anti-settling agent, are added using a high speed mixer disperser to homogenize the ingredients. After homogenization, the other additives are added such as the metallic pigments and more solvent if necessary. The metal pigment addition is preferably performed under low speed mixing to prevent distorting of the metallic particles. The cross-linking component is then preferably added as the last component. This composition may be termed "paint component 1". The second paint component comprises an acid or alkaline catalyst for accelerating the cross-linking reaction and a solvent. When the paint is desired to be used, paint component 1 is mixed with paint component 2 and a paint is provided which typically has a pot life of about one day which varies depending on the temperature conditions of use. Additional solvent is usually added to the mixture of paint component 1 and paint component 2 to provide the desired paint viscosity for spraying or other coating applications. The paint is typically sprayed at a temperature of about 20-30° C. Further, retarder solvents may be added to the paint formulation to minimize dry spray which results in loose non-adherent particles on the sprayed surface. Solvents such as butyl cellosolve and diacetone alcohol may be used to slow the evaporation rate of the paint during spraying thus minimizing dry spray.

In a further aspect of the invention, a method is provided for forming an EMI/RFI shielding for housing for electronic equipment comprising applying an electrically conductive metal paint thereto as defined hereinabove in a shielding effective thickness. It is preferred that the paint be applied by spraying although the paint may be applied by immersion, brushing, etc.

In a further aspect of the invention an EMI/RFI shielded substrate, and in particular, a shielded housing for electronic equipment, is provided which is made by the method of the invention using the various paint formulations of the invention.

To provide a paint formulation needed to coat housing for electronic equipment to provide EMI/RFI shielding, it is conventional to control the pigment to binder ratio to provide the desired properties such as durability, adhesion, cohesion, and low resistivity. It has now been found that the amount of resin used in the paint formulation may be reduced or minimized in a conductive metal paint formulation thereby increasing the pigment/binder ratio while increasing or exceeding the properties of prior art conductive metal paint formulations. The reduction of the amount of the binder enables the use of thinner coatings yet the paint formulation of the invention still exceeds the desired low resistivity values and provides a significantly more durable finish than conventional paints and which paint finish has excellent adhesive and cohesive properties. The use in a metal containing paint formulation of a cross-linking agent in combination with a binder resin having functional groups cross-linkable with the cross-linking agent and catalysis of the binder cross-linking agent reaction has been found to provide a paint formulation in which the amount of resin in the paint formulation can be minimized while increasing or exceeding at least some of the shielding properties of prior art conductive metal paints.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

In the present invention electrically non-conductive substrates used for electronic component enclosures may comprise any suitable material having the requisite structural strength or other characteristics desirable and necessary for the particular use to which the final product is to be put. Typically, this is a cabinet adapted to receive a radio, computer, microwave oven or similar electronic equipment and can be made of any suitable electrically non-conductive or dielectric material such as any thermosetting or thermoplastic resin or other suitable material which can be molded to produce a finished enclosure. Generally, suitable moldable synthetic organic polymeric materials such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyacetal or any suitable plastic or reinforced plastic material or blends thereof can be used. Other dielectric materials, such as glass, ceramic, glass fiber, reinforced ceramic, cellulose, pressed fiberboard or composite materials made therefrom are also known to be used for such purposes and may therefore be used as the substrate material for the purpose of this invention.

In general and an important feature of the invention is that the surface of the housing to which the paint is to be applied does not typically require etching or mechanical roughening since the paint and the method of the invention require no special surface treatment operation other than normal cleanup used to remove traces of mold release, oil, dirt and other contamination which may be on the surface to be coated.

Any suitable resin may be used as the organic binder resin in the invention with the proviso that the resin has functional groups which are cross-linkable with the cross-linking agents used in the paint formulation and method of the invention to form a three-dimensional polymer network. It is also preferred that the resin have a molecular weight typically above about 5000, and preferably above about 15,000 because of its demonstrated effectiveness. The preferred organic binder resin because of its demonstrated effectiveness is a poly (vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate-co-vinyl alcohol) terpolymer containing, by weight %, about 5-6 vinyl alcohol content, 4 vinyl acetate ester content and about 90 vinyl chloride content which vinyl chloride is generally inert in this system. Other binder resins include polyesters, polyurethanes, phenolics, alkyds, polyols, acrylics, and the like.

The cross-linking agent is preferably a melamine resin which cross-links with itself (self-condensation) and also with functional groups of the binder resin such as --OH groups. Other cross-linking agents include urea-formaldehyde, urethane, urea- melamine, modified melamine resins, e.g., phenol modified, modified urea resins, e.g., butylatol, guanamine, alkyl etherified melamine resins, and the like.

Any solvent may be used in the paint formulation with the solvent preferably dissolving the binder resin and cross-linking agent. Solvents such as methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) and acetone are preferred because of their demonstrated effectiveness. Other solvents such as esters, ketones, alcohols and the like may be employed. For water based systems, water is the solvent and the resin may be dispersed in the water or solubilized therein.

A Theological additive is preferably used in the paint composition of the invention which improves the use and the performance of the paint. A highly preferred additive because of its demonstrated effectiveness is an organic derivative of castor oil. As will be shown hereinbelow, conventional Theological additives such as polymers, clays, silica, etc. are generally not as effective in the crosslinkable metallic pigment paint formulation of the invention compared with the demonstrated superior effectiveness of the castor oil organic derivative. A highly preferred castor oil organic derivative additive is Thixcin R sold by Rheox Company. This material is defined in the Rheox literature as an organic derivative of castor oil and is typically used in a non-polar environment. It is surprising that this positive effect is obtained when the Thixcin R is used in the moderately polar environment of the present paint system.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,390 assigned to Rheox, Inc. and incorporated herein by reference, Thixcin R is defined as hydrogenated castor oil and is termed castor wax. The chemical formula of the castor wax is shown in FIG. 1 of the patent and below. Other castor oil organic derivatives are shown as having lower hydroxyl values such as the seeding resistant castor wax shown in FIG. 2 of the patent and below. ##STR1##

It is also preferred to use in the paint formulation an anti-settling agent to minimize "hard pack". Hard packing is when the metallic component or other components of the paint settle to the bottom of the container and the settled material is very difficult to redisperse before the paint can be sprayed or otherwise applied to the electronic equipment. Any suitable conventional anti-settling agent may be employed.

The metal particles useful in the conductive paint of the invention may vary widely and include copper, nickel, silver, silver-coated copper and the like. As noted above however, the type of metal used affects a number of the properties of the paint and paint coating and the metal used in the paint is therefore preferably correlated with, for example, the amount of catalyst used to catalyze the cross-linking reaction. It is highly preferred that the majority of the metallic additive in the paint formulation be in the form of a flake instead of spherical, or other particle shape, e. g., above 50%, preferably above 90% e.g., 1 00%. The metal particle size distribution is typically about 1-100 microns although lower and higher particle size distributions may be used for certain applications.

In a preferred paint of the invention, the metallic particles are silver coated copper flakes used together with silver flakes preferably in a weight ratio of about 50% silver-50% copper by weight. Flakes generally provide excellent low resistivity values at a relatively low pigment concentration compared with other particle shapes. Preferred metallic flake particles because of their demonstrated effectiveness are silver flakes having a particle size of about 2-20 microns preferably 6-10 microns and silver coated copper flakes having a particle size of about 5-100 microns preferably 40-70 microns. A typical silver coated copper flake contains about 7-15% by weight silver.

The cross-linking resin is preferably a melamine resin which cross-links with itself (self-condensation) and with the functional group or groups of the organic binder resin of the paint The preferred melamine resin is chemically a methylated melamine formaldehyde resin solution containing by weight %, about 86.5-90.5 resin (CAS No. 68002-20-2); 8-12 isopropanol and <1.5 formaldehyde.

A catalyst is preferably used with the cross-linking resin and is preferably an organic acid such as paratoluenesulfonic acid (PTSA) or methanesulfonic acid (MSA). Various salts such as MgBr₂, Al(NO₃)₃ and other known Lewis Acids and other acid catalysts may also be used. In certain formulations no acid catalyst may be necessary.

As noted above, it has been found that the amount of catalyst used to catalyze cross-linking of the cross-linking agent and the binder resin be specially controlled depending on the type metal used in the paint formulation. As will be shown hereinbelow, for a paint formulation containing silver particles and silver coated copper particles, it is preferred to use an amount of catalyst of about 0.1 to 3.4 g/l most preferably 0.1 to 2.2 g/l of the paint formulation (before thinning) when the paint formulation is used to provide a thickness of about 0.4 mils or less on the housing surface. For thicknesses of 0.4 mils or higher it is likewise preferred to use a catalyst in the amount of about 0.1 to 2.2 g/l but higher amounts up to about 4.5 g/l or higher may be employed if higher resistivities can be tolerated.

With regard to paint formulations containing only silver as the metallic component, the effect of the catalyst on the resistivity of the coated paint is much more pronounced at the lower thicknesses normally used for silver only paint. Thus, at a thickness of 0.2 mils it is highly preferred to use the catalyst in an amount up to about 0.1 to 2.2 g/l. Amounts above this level tremendously increase the resistivity of the coating. While the absolute values of the resistivity are not as high for higher thicknesses of 0.4 mils and 0.5 mils, it is likewise preferred to maintain the catalyst concentration at a level of about 0.1 to 4.5 g/l most preferably 0.1 to 3.4 g/l to achieve the lowest resistivity values of the paint formulation.

In general, and it is an important feature of the invention, the amount of catalyst needed may be minimized without sacrificing paint properties while still achieving low coating resistivities.

In a highly preferred embodiment of the invention, the conductive paint composition is made in a two part system as follows. To make the first component, the resin (organic binder) is dissolved in a solvent such as MIBK to provide a solution. Typically an elevated temperature will be needed to dissolve the resin with a temperature of about 40 to 60° C. being used for the preferred poly (vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate-co-vinyl chloride) terpolymer and MIBK solvent. Mixtures of solvents such as MIBK and acetone may also be used with the acetone preferably being added at the end of the preparation process. Any Theological additive and any anti-settling agent are then added with high speed mixing (dispersion) to provide a homogenous dispersion of the components. A high speed disperser operating at a speed of 6,000-8,000 rpm for example may be used to form the homogenous mixture. The other additives, in particular the metallic additive, are then added at low speed mixing and more solvent such as acetone added if necessary. The cross-linker component is preferably added as the last ingredient to make paint component 1.

The second component comprises a solvent such as isopropanol and an acid or alkaline material used to catalyze the cross-linking agent and is made by mixing the components together to form paint component 2.

A preferred conductive paint formulation which is ready for spraying or otherwise coating the housing comprises the following components:

    ______________________________________                                                            Formulation (g/l)                                           ______________________________________                                         organic resin        60.5                                                      solvent              706.sup.1                                                 rheological additive 2.32                                                      anti-settling agent  4.65.sup.2                                                Ag metallic component                                                                               149                                                       Ag/Cu metallic component                                                                            179                                                       cross-linking agent  15.2.sup.3                                                catalyst             1-5                                                       ______________________________________                                          .sup.1 mixture of acetone and MIBK                                             .sup.2 as active ingredientadded as a 20% active slurry                        .sup.3 as active ingredientadded as a 90% solution                       

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the amount of components used in the conductive paint formulation such as the organic resin, solvent and metallic pigment may vary widely depending on the type paint desired. With regard to the cross-linking agent, it is preferred to use a stoichiometric amount vis-a-vis the functional groups of the organic resin.

The conductive paint is usually mixed with a solvent to achieve the desired viscosity. Typically the paint ready for coating the substrate has a viscosity generally in the range of about 15 to 30 preferably 17 to 26 as measured by EZ Zahn Cup #2 at a temperature of 25° C. and the paint as described above is usually thinned at a ratio of 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner (solvent). Conventional spray equipment may be used to spray the paint onto a substrate in an effective shielding thickness and the spray equipment will typically employ an agitator to continually mix the paint during the application to prevent settling of the paint components. The resistivity of the paint coating will vary widely depending on the application with lower resistivities being generally preferred. In general, for a 0.5 mil paint thickness for a silver only paint, the resistivity when measured by ohms per square is less than 20 mohms per square, and preferably less than 10 mohms per square. For a paint containing silver particles and silver coated copper particles, the resistivity when measured by ohms per square is less than 40 mohm square for a 0.5 mil thickness, preferably less than 20 mohms per square.

The present invention will now be described in more detail by referring to the following examples although the present invention is not limited to them. In the following examples, all parts are by weight and degrees centigrade unless otherwise indicated.

EXAMPLE 1

A paint formulation containing both silver flakes and silver coated copper flakes was prepared as follows.

60.5 g of the poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl chloride-co-vinyl acetate ester) terpolymer resin described above containing by weight %, 5-6 vinyl alcohol content, 4 vinyl acetate ester content and 90 vinyl chloride content was dissolved in 398 g of MIBK at 40-50° C. 4.65 g of an anti-settling agent (added as a 20% active slurry of 23.25 g) and 2.32 g of Thixcin R were added to the solution at high speed mixing to provide a homogenous dispersion of the components. A Dispermat CV high speed disperser with a 40 mm blade operating at 3500-4000 ft/min peripheral tip speed at 5-20 minutes was used to form the homogenous mixture. 179 g of a silver coated copper flake containing about 7-9 weight % silver and having a particle size of 40-50 microns and 149 g of silver flake having a particle size of about 7-10 microns were added to the homogenous mixture with low speed mixing. 307 g of acetone was then added. 18 g of a melamine resin cross-linking agent (90% active) was then added as the last ingredient to make this component (paint component 1) of the paint formulation.

A second paint component 2 contains 171 g of PTSA (189 g of 90.5% PTSA) mixed with isopropyl alcohol to 1 liter volume. Paint component 2 was then added to paint component 1 which was mixed to form the paint formulation. The paint was then thinned with a solvent methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) at 2 parts paint to 1 part thinner so that the final formulation had the same amounts of ingredients except as indicated in Table 1. The catalyst solution of PTSA in isopropyl alcohol was added in the amounts indicated in the table below as g/l, PTSA.

Each paint formulation was then sprayed at 20° C. onto polycarbonate substrates by a high volume, low pressure spray apparatus (HVLP). The coated substrate was cured at the indicated temperatures and the resistivity of the coated surface measured by a point to point measurement and by a surface measurement as indicated in the Table. The results are as shown in Table 1. The point to point resistivities in mohms over a 14 cm. distance were measured using a VERSATRONIC RESISTANCE TESTER MODEL R-100. The surface resistivities were measured using a HEWLETT PACKARD 34401 A Multimeter. The surface resistivity values are in mohms per square. A tape test was also used to determine the cohesiveness of the metal pigment in the coating. Non-acceptable (NA) indicates metal particle pick-off over the whole tape. Acceptable (A) indicates slight metal particle pick-off on the tape. Excellent (E) indicates substantially no metal particle pick-off on the tape. All coatings were adhesive to the substrate. Wear resistance was measured by using a Model 7-IBB Norman Tool, Inc. Abrasion Wear Tester at a 275 gram load which is a conventional tester used in the paint industry. The wear resistance values are measured in cycles required to wear through to the substrate.

                                      TABLE 1                                      __________________________________________________________________________     Cure 170°   Cure 230°                                            Comp.                                                                               Pt/Pt                                                                              Surface                                                                            Cohesion                                                                             Pt/Pt                                                                             Surface                                                                             Cohesion                                                                            Wear Res.                                      __________________________________________________________________________     THICKNESS 0.4 MILS                                                             NO CX                                                                               110 29  NA    76 20   NA   11                                             CX   132 33  NA    121                                                                               33   NA   14                                             CX + 1.12                                                                           125 30  A     116                                                                               29   A    72                                             CX + 2.24                                                                           117 25  A     101                                                                               21   E    187                                            CX + 3.39                                                                           189 58  A     -- --   E    729                                            CX + 4.52                                                                           243 65  A     -- --   E    1,000                                          THICKNESS 0.6 MILS                                                             NO CX                                                                               42  12  NA    32 17   NA   37                                             CX   49  10  NA    43 9    NA   125                                            CX + 1.12                                                                           38  10  E     34 10   E    1430                                           CX + 2.24                                                                           53  12  E     45 12   E    1040                                           CX + 3.39                                                                           59  14  E     -- --   E    2525                                           CX + 4.52                                                                           69  19  E     -- --   E    2075                                           THICKNESS 0.9 MILS                                                             NO CX                                                                               25  8   NA    17 3    NA   220                                            CX   25  25  NA    21 21   NA   420                                            CX + 1.12                                                                           26  7   E     23 5    E    2,205                                          CX + 2.24                                                                           37  9   E     30 10   E    3,358                                          CX + 3.39                                                                           37  8   E     -- --   E    4,500                                          CX + 4.52                                                                           49  11  E     -- --   E    3,250                                          __________________________________________________________________________      No CX means no crosslinker in paint                                            CX means crosslinker in paint                                                  CX + .sub.------ means the amount of catalyst in the paint in g/l        

The results shown in Table 1 clearly shows that increasing the amount of catalyst used in the paint formulation increases the resistivity of the coating. The effect on increasing the resistivity is relatively flat for the 0.4 mils thickness up to 2.24 g/l catalyst. Above this level, the resistivity increases significantly. For thicknesses of 0.6 mils and 0.9 mils higher amounts of the catalyst could be tolerated with levels of 3.39 g/l or less being preferred. The effect of acid catalysis on the wear resistance of the paint film is also clearly evident and is a preferred feature of the invention.

EXAMPLE 2

Example 1 was repeated using a paint formulation containing only silver flakes in an amount of 480 g/l as the metallic component.

The results of the resistivity and cohesion testing are shown in Table 2.

                                      TABLE 2                                      __________________________________________________________________________     Cure 150°   Cure 230°                                            Comp.                                                                               Pt/Pt                                                                              Surface                                                                            Cohesion                                                                             Pt/Pt                                                                             Surface                                                                             Cohesion                                                                            Wear Res.                                      __________________________________________________________________________     THICKNESS 0.2 MLS                                                              NO CX        NA            NA   3                                              CX   122 41  NA    105                                                                               22   NA   9                                              CX + 1.12                                                                           202 55  E     103                                                                               29   E    544                                            CX + 2.24                                                                           199 61  E     108                                                                               26   E    500                                            CX + 3.39                                                                           346 85  E     191                                                                               47   E    400                                            CX + 4.52                                                                           487 112 E     263                                                                               64   E    --                                             THICKNESS 0.4 MLS                                                              NO CX        NA            NA   9                                              CX   52  14  NA    43 12   E    150                                            CX + 1.12                                                                           59  17  E     31 11   E    1375                                           CX + 2.24                                                                           82  28  E     60 17   E    1187                                           CX + 3.39                                                                           106 28  F     55 25   E    1025                                           CX + 4.52                                                                           162 37  E     65 18   E    1012                                           THICKNESS 0.5 MLS                                                              NO CX        NA            NA   9                                              CX   35  9   NA    29 8    E    1,003                                          CX + 1.12                                                                           46  11  E     27 10   E    2,177                                          CX + 2.24                                                                           47  12  E     32 10   E    1,518                                          CX + 3.39                                                                           71  18  E     39 9    E    1,750                                          CX + 4.52                                                                           115 26  E     46 13   E    1,300                                          __________________________________________________________________________

As compared to the effects of the catalyst on the paint formulation containing both silver flakes and silver coated copper flakes as shown in Table 1, the effects of the acid catalyst on the silver film resistivity is much more pronounced in a paint formulation containing only silver paint. This is particularly evident at the typically used silver paint thickness of 0.2 mils where the resistivity increased by a factor of about 4 from 122 to 487 for an amount of catalyst of 4.5 g/l when measured on point to point measurement. Increases in resistivity are also evident at higher paint film thickness of 0.4 mils and 0.5 mils. As with the paint formulation of Example 1, catalysis of the paint formulation significantly increased the wear resistance of the paint film and is a preferred feature of the invention.

EXAMPLE 3

The paint of Example 1 was prepared using a number of different rheological additives as indicated in Table 3. The paints were sprayed onto polycarbonate plaques (4 inch×6 inch) and evaluated. Some paints were not sprayed because of their flow properties as determined by dipping a 3/8 inch diameter glass rod into the paint and holding the rod in a vertical position for about 1 minute. The coated rod is then allowed to dry in a horizontal position. The paint coated rod was then evaluated for coverage by examing the rod through a light source. If the light does not pass through the rod, the coating is considered opaque. A slightly shear appearance indicates some light passing through the rod and an acceptable coating. A shear or very shear coating indicates a large amount of light passing through the rod and an unacceptable coating. The coatings on the sprayed plaques all had adhesion to the plaque substrate. This cohesive properties were evaluated as above.

                                      TABLE 3                                      __________________________________________________________________________                           Viscosity                                                                           Paint                                                                Conc (Zahn                                                                               Spraye                                              Run                                                                               Additive      % weight                                                                            EZ#2)                                                                               d   Observations                                    __________________________________________________________________________     1  Thixcin R     0.2  19.8 Y   Slightly shear - no cohesive                                                   failure (E)                                     2  Thixatrol Plus                                                                               0.4  17.6 Y   Slightly shear                                  3  Thixatrol Plus                                                                               0.6  20.7 Y   Less shear than Run 2 - no                                                     cohesive failure (E)                            4  Silica             17.6 Y   Shear - poor cohesion (NA)                      5  Organoclay         18.1 Y   Shear - poor cohesion (NA)                      6  Inorganic Castor Oil derivative                                                                   17.4 N   Very shear                                      7  Polyamide          17.4 N   Very shear                                      8  Polyamide          17.8 Y   Shear - some cohesive                                                          failure (A)                                     __________________________________________________________________________

The above results show that Thixcin R is very superior to the other additives at the low 0.2% level. Thixatrol Plus is satisfactory. Thixatrol Plus is a proprietary diamide castor oil derivative made by Rheox, Inc. Run 4 using silica a poor coating and poor cohesion. Run 5 using an organoclay had a poor coating and poor cohesion. Run 6 using an inorganic castor oil derivative had a very poor coating. Runs 7 and 8 using a polyamide had a poor coating and some cohesion failure. The use of an organic castor oil derivative of Run 1 is clearly the best rheological additive with the paint formulation of the invention.

While the present invention has been particularly described, in conjunction with a specific preferred embodiment, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will embrace any such alternatives, modifications and variations as falling within the true scope and spirit of the present invention. 

Thus, having described the invention, what is claimed is:
 1. An electrically conductive metal containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment comprising an organic binder resin having cross-linkable functional groups selected from the group consisting of --OH, --COOH, --CONH₂, --SH, phenolic, --NH₂ and --NHCH₂ OH; electrically conductive metallic particles; a solvent; an effective amount of a cross-linking agent which cross-links with itself and with the functional groups of the organic binder resin; and a catalyst to accelerate cross-linking of the organic binder resin with the cross-linking agent.
 2. The metal containing paint of claim 1 wherein the metallic particles are flakes.
 3. The metal containing paint of claim 2 further containing a castor oil organic derivative as a rheological additive.
 4. The electrically conductive metal containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive metal is a mixture of silver flakes and silver-coated copper flakes.
 5. The paint of claim 4 wherein the catalyst is an acid and is an amount of about 0.1 to 2.2 g/l.
 6. The electrically conductive metal containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment of claim 1 wherein the electrically conductive metal is silver flakes.
 7. The metal containing paint of claim 6 wherein the catalyst is an acid and is in an amount of 0.1 to 2.2 g/l.
 8. An electrically conductive metal containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment comprising a poly(vinyl acohol-co-vinyl acetate-co-vinyl chloride) terpolymer organic binder resin having crosslinkable functional groups; a mixture of silver flakes and silver-coated copper flakes; a solvent; an effective amount of cross-linking agent which cross-links with itself and with the functional groups of the organic binder resin; and an acid catalyst in an amount of about 0.1 to 2.2 g/l to accelerate cross-linking of the organic binder resin with the cross-linking agent.
 9. An electrically conductive metal containing paint for EMI/RFI shielding for housings of electronic equipment comprising a poly)vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl-acetate-co-vinyl chloride) terpolymer organic binder resin having crosslinkable functional groups; electrically conductive silver flakes; a solvent; an effective amount of a cross-linking agent which cross-links with itself and with the functional groups of the organic binder resin; and an acid catalyst in an amount of about 0.1 to 2.2 g/l to accelerate cross-linking of the organic binder resin with the cross-linking agent. 